Die set for punch presses



March 20, 1951 G. scoTT 2,545,560

DIE SET FOR PUNCH PRESSES Filed March 26, 1949 F/GJ u l' :'IIIII i;

Patented Mar. 20,r 1951 vNr OFFICE DIE SET FOR PUNCH 4PltlilSSlS George Scott, Garden City, `N. Y assigner to Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporationy ofNew AYork Application March 26, 1949, Serial No. 83,647

plate for radio or telephone circuit components,

several times using different type or size punches. On a production basis such punching is .done by several different presses, each press lhaving a different Ipunch and die. However, in a small shop not having suflicient presses or when only aflimited number of `pieces are desired, thus not .warranting the .use of several presses, it is the -practice to use just one press for the operation, changing the die sets after .each type of hole is punched. With the heavy die sets at present being used, considerable time is vlost in this change and in setting the die and punch accu. rately in position so that they will properly mate. Otherwise if they are not accurately aligned not only is the material not properly punched upon the .descent of the ram but the die itself may be damaged or destroyed. Further the die sets are quite heavy and bulky and consequently difficult to handle and align properly. It is an object of this invention to enable `rapid interchange of dies and punches in the press.

It is a further object of this invention to ex'-- pedite the rapid and accurate alignment of such dies and punches in the press. l

It is a further object of this invention to decrease the cost of punched articles by simplifying the punching procedure.

In accordance with one feature of this invention, both the die and punch are mounted on holder plates which are accurately machined to t intoy depressions inthe punch. press .'so' .that when they are secured inv place the punch and die are properly aligned and no further adjustments need be made.

In accordance with another feature of this invention, the holder plates and the depressions are made trapezoidal in shape and the sides dovetailed so that the plates need be only slid into the depressions to be held accurately in place.

In accordance with another feature of this invention, the various dies and punches are mounted on holder plates of the same size and shape so that they may be rapidly and accurately interchanged in the depressions.

In accordance with a further feature of this invention, the die set plates are rst set in the punch press and then the various holder plates need be aligned only once to be capable of removal and reinsertion rapidly and without destroying the alignment of the punch and die,

A complete understanding of these and .other `features .of .the vinvention may be gained from Aconsideration of .the following detailed description and the accompanyingdrawing in which.:

Fig. l is a front view of aportion of a-punch .press showing die and punch holder platesillustrative of one embodiment .of this invention.;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the dieandpunch vholder plates and the .depressions in the die sets;

.and

Fig. 3 .is a section .view along .line 3-3 of Fig-.11. 1 .Referring now to thedrawing, .the lower .die set plate I0 is positioned on the bolster pla-teer bed II ofthe punch press.V The upper die. set plate I2 .is .attached .to the ram I3 and heldin position by the v.master guide pins I4. The lower die set plate kIll has a depression I5 in .itsface, .the ldepression being trapezoidal in shaperand .having its sides dovetailed orprovided withkeyways. Asimilar depression -It is .provided in the face of the .upper die set plate I2 kandis in exact alignment with .the depression I5 in the lower die set plate I0. f

A die .Il having blanking apertures I'IA and HB therein `is mounted .on a .die holder or base plate I8 and separated therefrom by blockslIS. The die is secured to theblocks byaplurality-of screws 20 and vthe vblocks .to lthe die holder plate by'a plurality ofscrews 2I. v The punch 24, .which .isshown withtwopunch members, is lmountedon a punch holder orbase plate 25 by amounting .plate 2B, the mounting plate .being secured to the holder .plate by a plurality of .screwsfZi'I and dowel pins, not show-mand the punch members lto the-mounting platezvby screws, not shown.

Both holder plates I8 and 25 are trapezoidal in' shape withth'eir sides dovetailed or keyeda-tot accurately and closely into the depressions I5 and i6, respectively. These depressions and holder plates are the same size and the die and punch so positioned on the holder plates that when they are inserted into the depressions the die and punch will be properly aligned to mate accurately upon descent of the ram I3. Because of the trapezoidal shape of the holder or base plates y and depressions, the holder plates need only be prevents further forward motion.

In the operation of the punch press shown in Fig. 1, a channel shaped piece 32 is being punched, the slug 36 punched out being shown just below the punch 24. The channel is held by guides 33 and stripper members 34 which are attached to the rear of the punch press, not shown. The slugs 36 punched out drop into the recess 35 formed by the blocks I9 from which they are removed by any known slide or conveying method. The recess 35 and the blocks i9 need not be provided if the holder plate I8, die set l and bed Il are apertured to allow passage of the slugs through them.

When a particular job has been determined upon and the appropriate dies and punches obtained, the following is an advantageous procedure to follow, although other .procedures may be followed without departing from the scope of the invention as explained herein. The die set plates lil and l2 are rst positioned inthe punch press and aligned by their aligning pins, in accordance with standard practice. Each die and punch combination is then individually placed in the die set plates by sliding the holder plates into the depressions as explained above. The die is `first aligned by a jig and the punch is then aligned upon the die and when once properly aligned is secured to the holder plate by screws and dowelpins, not shown. This alignment of die and punch is individually done for each pair :t0 be used in the punching operation.

. =In a typical punching operation the part to be punched, such as the channel member. 32, .which is a mounting plate for telephone circuit components such as are found in the various bays in telephone central offices, may have different holes punched in it in certain specified positions; thus in the channel member shown the holes would depend on whether a relay, condenser or resistor, etc., is to be mounted at that point. The die and lpunch for one such aperture are slid into the depressions in the die set and then held in place bythe locks 28 and the screws 29. As the die and punch have been previously aligned, as explained above, they mate properly without any further adjustment by the operator. Upon completion of the punching of these particular apertures, the screws 29 are loosened and locks turned to allow the holder plates, with the dies and punch, to be slid out of the depressions. A different punch and die are then quickly inserted into the depressions in thedie set, and the lock Washers tightened again. As these new holder plates are accurately machined to be precisely the same size as the prior ones and as the punch and die on them were previously aligned, the operator need make no additional adjustments before punching the channel member in the preassigned places for these different type apertures.

v It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Numerous other arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A die set for punch presses and the like comprising a pair of die set plates, each of said plates having trapezoidal depressions'in one face thereof, keyways in said depressions, a pair of base plates fitting into said depressions and into said keyways, one of said base plates mounting a die and the other of said base plates mounting a punch, said punch being adapted to engage with said die when said die set plates are brought together, and means for securing said base plates in said depressions.

2. In a punch press and the like having a bed member and a plunger member, a rst plate at-l tached to said plungenmember, a second plate attached to said bed member,"each ofsaidplates having depressions therein, said depressions being trapezoidal in shape and having sloping sides, a first base member, a punch mounted on said -rst base member, a second base member, a die mounted on said second base member, both said base members being trapezoidal in shape and having sloping sides adapted to closely engage said depressions, and means for securings'aid plates in said depressions.

3. A die set for punch presses and the like comprising a pair of die set plates, each of said plates having trapezoidal depressions in one face thereof, said depressions having the base of the tra-pezoid along one edge of said plates and having sloping sides, said sides being wider at the bottom than at'the top of saiddepressions a pair of base plates, one of said base plates mounting a punch and the other of said base plates mounting a die, said plates being trapezoidal in shape and having sloping sides adapted to slide into and closely engage said sloping sides of said depressions in a predetermined setting the position of which Will not be changed by the removal and reinsertion of said base plates, and means for the locking said base plates in said depressions.

GEORGE SCOTT.

REFERENCES CITED VvThe following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Kiwi` Mar. 21, 1939 

